Recording safety game board



Feb.. 4, 1936. H. F. KRANTZ RECORDING SAFETY GAME BOARD Filed Aug. 11, 1933 JWM INVENToR Hubert/E Krantz I .1.; ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 4, 1936 PATENT OFFICE RECORDING SAFETY GAME BOARD Hubert F. Krantz, West Palm Beach, Fla., as-

signor to Recording Card Table Company, Inc.,

West Palm Beach, Fla.,

Florida a corporation of Application August 11, 1933, Serial No. 684,609

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a recording safety game board.

An object of the invention is to provide a card table or like game board comprising a playing surface and means visually associated therewith and manually operable by the players adapted for indicating and maintaining a record of conditions and plays as the game progresses.

A more detailed object is to provide a table or board as indicated including a plurality of sets of movable finger pieces arranged one set for each player and each finger piece being manually movable by the player to register and keep record of plays and circumstances incident to the progress of the game.

A further object is to provide means to audibly, also to visually, signal any change in the position of the linger pieces.

A further object is to provide means associated with at least one of the finger pieces of each set adapted to insure against unauthorized movement of the corresponding nger piece of the other sets.

A furthe-r and more detailed object is to provide a table or board of the type indicated adapted particularly for use in the playing of card games, such as bridge and the like.

Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less specific than those referred to above, will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of principles constituting the invention; and the scope oi protection contemplated will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing which is to be taken as a part of this specification, and in which I have shown merely a preferred form of embodiment of the invention:-

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of a portion of a table or board embodying the features of this invention, parts being broken away for the disclosure of details.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken upon the plane of line II--II of Fig, 1, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view substantially upon the plane of line III-III o-f...Fig. l.

50 Referring to the drawing for describing in detail the exemplary structure as illustrated therein, the reference characters L and G indicate top and bottom members respectively of a suitable table or board said members being shown as 55 spaced apart to provide a compartment as H between them within which is contained the moving parts of the mechanism employed.

A marginal member as I may connect the members L and G and in the member I, at the several sides. thereof one for each player, as will 5 be understood, there is formed a slot as 2 through which the finger pieces extend and lengthwise along which said nger pieces are independently manually movable.

In the illustration there are four iinger pieces, 10 designated 3, d, 5 and comprised in the set for each player. These finger pieces are at the outer ends of four levers designated respectively as 8, 9 and ii). The levers are pivotally mounted upon suitable pivots as II, I2, I3 and I4 located 15 intermediate their length.

The inner ends of the levers l, 8 and 9 engage slides I5, IG and Ii respectively in such wise that ino-vement of the nger pieces 3, 4 and 5 lengthwise of slot 2 will move the slides with respect 20 to a window as I3 provided in the member L and through which a portion only of each of the slides is visible.

There is one window I8 for each player, and these windows are spaced somewhat outwardly 25 from the center of the tabl-e toward the respective players the windows preferably having a sheet of glass or other transparent material therein as shown to complete the playing surface.

Arranged at a suitable point in the length of 30 the levers l, 8 and 9 is a suitable snap-acting retaining device as indicated at 19 adapted for holding the levers in any position in which they are set, said snap-acting devices being also of a character to producea loud report or signal as the spring pressed element as 20 thereof snaps from one notch as 2l to another as the lever is moved to slide the slides I5, I6 or I'I step by step from one position to another behind the window.

Carried upon the upper surface of each of the- 40 slides I5, I6 and I'I are suitable legends, for instance as clearly shown, intended for reading at the window i8 according to the position of the finger pieces and the slides, the reading of course changing with each step of movement of any one of the slides.

The inner end of each of the levers Illcarries 4 a disc shaped head portion 22 which is movable by said lever between two positions. The snapacting retaining device I9 associated with this 50 lever includesl only two notches ZI, one to hold the head 22 in a relatively non-recording position as shown by full lines in Fig. 1 and the other 'to hold said head 22 in a recording or indicating position visible through a Window 23 formed in 55 the exact center of the member L and centrally between the several windows it, as shown by the dotted line position of said lever i9 in Fig. 1.

Upon the upper surface of each of the heads 22 of the levers l! may be carried suitable legends as for instance that indicated, the legends upon each of these levers in the instance illustrated being identical.

The heads 22 of the several levers l@ are all 10 movable in the same horizontal plane, as most clearly shown in the illustration Fig. 2 so that thus only a single one of the heads 22 is capable or movement into the space visible through window 2S at any one time. A head 22 occupying this space at any given time must rst be moved to a non-indicating position by the player having charge of that particular head 22 before the head 22 or any other lever may be moved into the space below the window. Located in a horizontal plane below the horizontal plane of the heads 22 and centrally beneath the window 23 is a turn table 2li pivotally mounted for rotation about a vertical axis upon a standard 25 and having a snap- I. acting retaining device, including a spring mem- 25' ber 26 engageable in any one of a series of radially disposed depressions or seats 2 of a collar 2S movable with the turn table, by which td yieldingly retain the turn table in any one of four different equally spaced radial positions.

` Projecting downwardly from the turn table 2d is a series of equally spaced pins 2Q-29 and upon each of the levers it is carried a pawl 3@ co-operative with the pins 29 to rotate the turn table j one step whenever one of the levers lil is thrown to bring its indicator head 22 into register with the window 23.

Upon its upper surface the turn table carries suitable legends for instance as clearly shown in `Fig. l.

" In the embodiment ci the invention as herein shown and described the table or board illustrated is adapted for the playing of a game of bridge, and the several slides i5, i6 and Il, the Jindicator heads of the levers lil, and the central turn table, are all shown as having legends peculiar to this game and in positions such as they might occupy at some time during the game, and the plays concerned may be briefly mentioned as `follows:

The player in the south is the dealer and has rst bid, see the legend on the turn table. His partner on the north is meanwhile shuffling the second deck of cards and when the cards are shuiiled he will lay them on his right as indicated by the small arrow on the turn table. The player on the east will cut the cards before the deal.

The player on the south has bid three spades and has moved his nger pieces l and 5 so that this play reads as such at his window i8. The

slide connected with this players nger piece 3 at this time shows a blank.

The player on the west bids four diamonds and moves his finger pieces to so indicate at his window I8. The player on the north raises his partners G5 three spades to four spades and so indicates at his window. And the player on the east doubles, and so indicates at his window but has not bid himself.

l The player on the south, re-doubling, now

moves his iinger piece 3 to so indicate at his window. And thus all of the bids made by the several players are graphically and positively shown at the several windows respectively so that there ;can be no dispute as to what the individual bids were'thrughout'the playing of the hand.

For any player to secretly change the reading at his window would be practically impossible, rst, because the changed reading would be evident to the other players, and, second, because the act of changing the reading would be sig- 5 nalled audibly by the snap-acting device I9 associated with the particular finger piece o'r finger pieces moved.

After the bidding has been completed, and before any card is led, the player on the south 1o moves his finger piece G to throw his indicator head 22 into indicating position beneath the Window 23, thereby graphically showing that the player on the west leads the rst card, that the player on the north is the dummy, and that the 151 player on the south does the playing from the dummy hand.

The parts remain in this position until all cards of the hand have been played. And when all cards of the hand have been played, then 207 the player on the south moves his nger piece 6 to uncover the turn table, and all of the players move their respective 'linger pieces to show only' blanks at the windows i8.

When the indicator head 22 of the lever Ill was 2d thrown to indicating position by the player on the south its pawl lill, co-operating with one of. pins 29 and the snap-acting device of the turn. table, rotated the turn table a one-quarter turn;`

so that now when the indicator head of lever Ill 30 is moved to non-indicating position at the end of the hand the turn table shows the player at the west to be next dealer, the player on the east: to be shuiiler and the player on the south to cut the cards for the new deal. 3s:

to progressively indicate the player who will lead' 4W? the rst card etc. o'r each hand, as the game continues.

It will be observed that all of the nger pieces of the different players may be moved to their' proper or normal at rest positions at the end of 45 the playing or a hand by simply sliding the thumb toward the left along the edge of the table so as to engage and move the finger pieces. in succession.

The entire mechanism as illustrated is simple, 50" practical and efcient. It is easy and interesting to operate. It always shows the vital plays or bids made from time to time by the respective players and keeps record of these plays or bids for a sufcient period to prevent any misunder- 55 standing or argument as to their character or the identity vof the player making them. At the same time it directs the progress of the game thereby avoiding improper sequence of plays by the different players, and it provides an excel- 60 electrical, mechanical, or otherwise. 70

Boards having the essential characteristics as herein disclosed may if desired be utilized as a display or bulletin board for exhibition purposes so as to show the bids and plays being made by players at a distance, in which case the playing 7 5l surface portion of the device would not be an essential feature of the structure employed.

As many changes could be made in this construction without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description, or shown in the accompanying drawing, shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A game board of the class described including parts providing a playing surface, a rotatably 4mounted member having indicia thereon regarding the duties of the different players, and a plurality of members one for each player operable to rotate said rotatable member thereby to indicate the changed duties of the players as the game progresses from player to player, together with means movable by any one of said plurality of members to cover and conceal the indicia on said rotatable member.

2. A game board of the class described including parts providing a playing surface, a rotatably mounted member having indicia thereon regarding the duties of the different players, and a plurality of members one for each player operable to rotate said rotatable member thereby to indicate the changed duties of the players as the game progresses from player to player, together with means movable by any one of said plurality of members to render the indicia on said rotatable members invisible and to substitute therefor a different indicia.

3. A table for card games comprising a playing surface having a window opposite a players position, a set of bid indicating devices for the player, said set of bid indicating devices being arranged below and visible through said window and spaced inwardly from the edge of the playing surface, a set of levers corresponding to said set of devices and respectively actuating the said devices of the set, and a set of keys adapted to operate said set of levers, said set of keys being adjacent the edge of the playing surface whereby the player can indicate the bids he makes during a game.

4. A table for card games comp-rising a playing surface having a window opposite a players position, a set of bid indicating devices for the player, said set of bid indicating devices being arranged below and visible through said window and spaced inwardly from the edge of the playing surface, a set of levers corresponding to said 5. A table for card games comprising a playing surface having a window opposite a players position, a set of bid indicating devices for the player, said set of bid indicating devices being arranged below and visible through said window and spaced inwardly from the edge of the playing surface, a set of levers corresponding to said set of devices and respectively actuating the said devices of the set, and a set of keys adapted to operate said set of levers, said set of keys being adjacent the edge of the playing surface near the player, whereby the player can indicate the bids he makes during a game, said bid indicating devices comprising rectilinearly slidable plates to which said levers are pivotally connected.

6. A table for card games comprising a playing surface having a Window opposite a players position, a set of bid indicating devices for the player, said set of bid indicating devices being arranged below and visible through said window and spaced inwardly from the edge of the playing surface, a set of levers corresponding to said set of devices and respectively actuating the said devices of the set, and a set of keys adapted to operate said set of levers, said set of keys being adjacent to the edge of the playing surface near a player, whereby the player can indicate the bids he makes during a game, said keys being beneath and included within the marginal edges of said playing surface.

7. A table for card games comprising a playing surface having a window opposite a players position, a set of bid indicating devices for the player, said set of bid indicating devices being arranged below and visible through said window and spaced inwardly from the edge of the playing surface, a set of levers corresponding to said set of devices and respectively actuating the said devices of the set, and a set of keys adapted to operate said set of levers, said set of keys being adjacent the edge of the playing surface near the player, whereby the player can indicate the bids he makes during a game, said keys being beneath and included within the marginal edges of said playing surface and movable substantially parallel to said surface.

HUBERT F. KRANTZ. 

